Preview — Dead Water
by Ngaio Marsh

Dead Water: Roderick Alleyn #23

A week of death threats at a faith-healing resort ends in murder. Inspector Roderick Alleyn is then faced with the most challenging case of his career. What makes matters worse is the fact that one of the suspects is his oldest friend. In classic Marsh fashion, the other suspect turns out to be none other than the victim herself.

Community Reviews

Good mystery. 83 year old Emily Pride owns an island where apparently miracles occur at a spring. However, she wants to close it down which the locals are upset about as it has become a gold mine. The crazy Miss Cost, drunken Major with a gorgeous wife, Dr Maine and the not so nice father of Wally. The murder surprised me but there are enough clues to figure out the murderer. My second Ngaio Marsh novel and I am hooked. I am also looking forward to watching the movie.

It's been a long time since I read any of Ngaio Marsh's books and I had forgotten how good she was. Although I don't think that this is one of her best it still warrants four stars. As always her characters are really well drawn and the plot is good. The autocratic Miss Price and her dialogue with Alleyn in this story is just marvellous. I am now going to re-read another one.

Wally Trehern, a mentally “simple” boy in Portcarrow, has been undergoing severe teasing from the other children because his hands are covered with awful, ugly warts in 1963’s Dead Water by Ngaio Marsh. Running to the local spring in tears, he puts his hands in the water, but he still has the same warts. Then, his eyes full of tears, Wally looks up and sees only what he calls The Green Lady. She tells him to plunge his hands back in the water, and the next day Wally shows his hands to his teacheWally Trehern, a mentally “simple” boy in Portcarrow, has been undergoing severe teasing from the other children because his hands are covered with awful, ugly warts in 1963’s Dead Water by Ngaio Marsh. Running to the local spring in tears, he puts his hands in the water, but he still has the same warts. Then, his eyes full of tears, Wally looks up and sees only what he calls The Green Lady. She tells him to plunge his hands back in the water, and the next day Wally shows his hands to his teacher, Jenny Williams, astonishing her by having completely clean hands. His only explanation is that The Green Lady and the springs healed him.

Enjoyed this very much. Loved the fact that Alleyn's former teacher was one of the characters even if she was very stubborn and set in her attitudes. It showed him in another type of relationship than we sometimes see. Enjoyed also the interaction of Fox with Miss Pride, as she is a French teacher and he is perennially trying to learn that language. Liked more of the ancillary characters, too, than I sometimes do in Marsh's tales.

Now, I do love Marsh, and I love her Detective Inspector Roderick Alleyn, and I love the tangled webs of her mysteries. But I'm afraid this is not my favorite.

In this one Marsh reveals her fundamental, telling ignorance of human character, with her portraits of both the epileptic boy with warts---since when is epilepsy a developmental disability? I have a cousin with epilepsy who's hot as a firecracker, which she inherited through our mathematical savant grandmother, from a perfectly normal if sNow, I do love Marsh, and I love her Detective Inspector Roderick Alleyn, and I love the tangled webs of her mysteries. But I'm afraid this is not my favorite.

In this one Marsh reveals her fundamental, telling ignorance of human character, with her portraits of both the epileptic boy with warts---since when is epilepsy a developmental disability? I have a cousin with epilepsy who's hot as a firecracker, which she inherited through our mathematical savant grandmother, from a perfectly normal if snippy great-grandmother. . .plus, you know, there's always Dostoievski---and then, appallingly, the 45-year-old single woman who is apparently by definition, "one of those." It was quite an education to me, I must say, to learn that being both single and female at "that age" is a form of malignant mental illness. I suppose if you can't avoid being female at "that age," the least you can do is get yourself a man so you don't inflict yourself upon society. And we wonder why the patriarchy stigmatizes unmarried women as man-eaters and gold-diggers. Thanks, Marsh.

Also, the premise itself wouldn't wash in any culture not already brainwashed into assuming aristocracy is the natural order of life. An elderly woman inherits, through no virtue or labor of her own, an entire island of which the working-class inhabitants engage in a form of entrepreneurial labor that, to her aristocratic nose, simply reeks of bad taste. So she sets out to put an end to such shenanigans "on my property," without the slightest foreknowledge of who these people are, how they live their lives, or what kind of economic straits they might be in. They make their living in a way that offends her sensibilities---that's all she needs to know. And she's off to wield her inherited right to stop them.

Is it any wonder they object rather energetically?

Oh, yes, and the early-twentieth century British thing about describing themselves flatteringly in relation to the rest of the world? "That good old British spirit of tolerance and understanding"? Honestly, it's like it never even occurred to them not everyone saw them as the heights of human evolution they believed themselves to be. I have never, ever heard anybody describe the British as being known for their "tolerance and understanding." Truly. They probably have just about as much of it as any of the rest of us. Which is not a whole heck of a lot when you're talking about colonialism.

I did narrow the perpetrator down to two people before I'd even read the first page, just by applying mystery-writer logic to the list of characters in the front (Ellery Queen used to do this, too, to confuse the reader, but if you know the process of elimination it turns out in most cases to be quite a give-away). So I was not surprised to see it come to those two in conjunction.

Still, I can't justify downgrading a beautifully-written book in this era of appallingly lazy fiction. Marsh's fiction skills were always rock solid....more

I didn't really enjoy this book. It fails on so many levels. A very stereotypical cast of characters - sexually frustrated spinsters, the retired army Major, a doctor, a clergyman and assorted poorly educated villagers.The detective is a romantic old-school English gentleman who never really comes to life in this story. Given her interest in the theatre I felt it would have worked better if Dame Marsh had written it as a play. The dialogue is hackneyed and the whole thing feels dated. Not one ofI didn't really enjoy this book. It fails on so many levels. A very stereotypical cast of characters - sexually frustrated spinsters, the retired army Major, a doctor, a clergyman and assorted poorly educated villagers.The detective is a romantic old-school English gentleman who never really comes to life in this story. Given her interest in the theatre I felt it would have worked better if Dame Marsh had written it as a play. The dialogue is hackneyed and the whole thing feels dated. Not one of the better Alleyn mysteries....more

I'm a huge Ngaio Marsh fan and this is one of my favorites, mostly for the character of Miss Emily Pride, former French tutor of Chief Inspector Alleyn and a most formidable woman. When her life is threatened after the citizens of an island she owns object to her shutting down a spring they claim can achieve miracles, Alleyn must act to ensure the safety of his favorite "old girl."

It's a wonderful "cozy" read for a rainy weekend, filled with interesting characters and with a compelling plot withI'm a huge Ngaio Marsh fan and this is one of my favorites, mostly for the character of Miss Emily Pride, former French tutor of Chief Inspector Alleyn and a most formidable woman. When her life is threatened after the citizens of an island she owns object to her shutting down a spring they claim can achieve miracles, Alleyn must act to ensure the safety of his favorite "old girl."

It's a wonderful "cozy" read for a rainy weekend, filled with interesting characters and with a compelling plot with just the right amount of red herrings and suspects to keep things moving....more

A great mystery, yet again I failed to spot the murderer, even though the clues were there in the text and I even spotted some of them but somehow I completely failed to make them add up. I love Ngaio Marsh's books, the familiar land marks are always there: a pair of lovers, a charming young girl, an eccentric spinster and of course Alleyn and Fox. Superb!

This book revolves around a supposedly magic spring, where a subnormal child, Wally, saw the Green Lady who told him to wash his warty hands in the spring. He does so, and lo and behold the warts fall off that very night. A local woman, Miss Cost, becomes obsessed by the 'magic' spring, and builds up an entire fantasy about it. It brings many visitors to the spring in search of healing, which benefits the residents of the island where it is located. This island is owned by Miss Pride, an old womThis book revolves around a supposedly magic spring, where a subnormal child, Wally, saw the Green Lady who told him to wash his warty hands in the spring. He does so, and lo and behold the warts fall off that very night. A local woman, Miss Cost, becomes obsessed by the 'magic' spring, and builds up an entire fantasy about it. It brings many visitors to the spring in search of healing, which benefits the residents of the island where it is located. This island is owned by Miss Pride, an old woman who is a friend of Superintendent Alleyn from his diplomatic days. She gets wind of the commercialization and intends to go to the island and put a stop to it. This naturally does not sit well with the inhabitants, especially Miss Cost. Miss Pride calls in Alleyn when she receives threatening letters; he advises her not to go to the island, but she insists. After she is injured by someone throwing rocks at her, he ends up truncating his vacation to go to her. When a murder occurs, of course he is drawn into it. Motives are rife, everyone is either lying or hiding something, and he is frustrated. Very interesting book; the characters as usual are beautifully delineated, although some of them are rather unlikable. I thought I remembered who was the murderer from previous readings, and for once I was right. There is one hint about halfway through, but it isn't made clear until the very end of the book....more

A beautifully crafted crime thriller in the old style, when there really were goodies and baddies and you could tell by the accent which was which. Roderick Alleyn, Ms Marsh's iconic detective, is dragged away from his holiday with his wife, not altogether reluctantly, to solve a murder on a peninsula in Cornwall and to look after his venerable French teacher, eighty-plus year-old Miss Emily Pride. As in all of these delightful older crime books, there are all the classic clues, pointing of courA beautifully crafted crime thriller in the old style, when there really were goodies and baddies and you could tell by the accent which was which. Roderick Alleyn, Ms Marsh's iconic detective, is dragged away from his holiday with his wife, not altogether reluctantly, to solve a murder on a peninsula in Cornwall and to look after his venerable French teacher, eighty-plus year-old Miss Emily Pride. As in all of these delightful older crime books, there are all the classic clues, pointing of course to the wrong person, and then comes the total surprise revelation of the perpetrator and (of course!) the expected denouement occurs, just at the moment when all the characters 'by accident' are drawn together in one place.Fast paced, delightfully readable and deliciously old fashioned crime drama at its best. What is not to like?...more

I enjoyed this one, even though I hardly like anyone. I wish Ngaio marsh would leave the damn young lovers out, though. They're always so irrelevant, and not at all likeable.

How the whole thing is tied together is quite fun, the puzzle is rife with red herrings, and Miss Emily's relationship with Alleyn and Fox quite fun. There are some wearisome tropes, and the murderer was not quite believable, though/

Word of warning - there's quite an old fashion caricature of how people were learning disabilI enjoyed this one, even though I hardly like anyone. I wish Ngaio marsh would leave the damn young lovers out, though. They're always so irrelevant, and not at all likeable.

How the whole thing is tied together is quite fun, the puzzle is rife with red herrings, and Miss Emily's relationship with Alleyn and Fox quite fun. There are some wearisome tropes, and the murderer was not quite believable, though/

Word of warning - there's quite an old fashion caricature of how people were learning disabilities and how old spinsters are (because obvi her vag is dried up, therefore she has no sense). As a result, while this is quite fun, it's not quite a good read for me....more

Wonderful restrained Scottish uncanniness on a remote island, complete with isolating tides, dead water and frightful storms, featuring the inimitable Roderick Alleyn (aren't we all jealous of Troy?) and his charming French friend-cum-tutor, now 83. The pitifulness of the exploitation of a mentally-challenged child who is cured of a bully-inspiring affliction--added to murder most foul and adult love triangles and the first loves of the young--add up to an ugly murder mystery with rainbows as weWonderful restrained Scottish uncanniness on a remote island, complete with isolating tides, dead water and frightful storms, featuring the inimitable Roderick Alleyn (aren't we all jealous of Troy?) and his charming French friend-cum-tutor, now 83. The pitifulness of the exploitation of a mentally-challenged child who is cured of a bully-inspiring affliction--added to murder most foul and adult love triangles and the first loves of the young--add up to an ugly murder mystery with rainbows as well as tragedies. Dame Ngaio Marsh is forever one of the best!...more

Very interesting setting. Clever story. It only gets four stars because it's rather short and the characters are all so blighted with greed and alcoholism. I found it difficult to sympathize with any of them. Our beloved Super is brilliant, of course, and the climax is beautifully written. A terrible storm adds wonderful atmosphere to the already suspenseful and tense situation. The conclusion...well, it makes the book a must read.

One dollar very well spent! I haven't been reading too many classic mysteries lately, but when I opened this one and saw it began with a traditional cast of characters, I knew that I would enjoy it. Dead Water has a very interesting setting, a secluded island in the UK where a freshwater spring is develops a reputation for curing illnesses. It's well-realized description of an insular community changed by tourism.

Sorry to say I am on the down side of these mysteries. Already wondering what my next fixation will be.

This one is more Alleyn, less other characters, which I like better than when the book is three-quarters through before he makes his appearance, no matter how engrossing the story or appealing the characters.

A very good book - interesting plot and characters. Like with most of her work, Ngaio Marsh's ability to create characters that the reader loves to hate really shines. The ending wasn't a huge shock so it fell a little flat, but it was still a good ride.

This one is particularly good, even though one of the main characters is an autistic boy who is drawn very accurately, especially for the time. It wasn't recognized as autism then. Marsh must have known someone like him.

Young women are “girls.” Poorer people are homely. Poor people are slovenly. Bad teeth are a sign of low class, when really a sign of low income, with never a nod to economic injustice. Kiwis better lose their accents if they are going to live in England. BUT the stories are first rate.

Another village crime novel by Ngaio Marsh, this one set on a small island connected to the Cornish mainland by a causeway. On the island, there is a spring, and there, a small boy, washing his hands in the water, experienced an immediate healing of the warts that covered his hands. Over the two years following this event, reported in the national press, a steady stream of people has come to the pool, seeking cures for themselves and enriching tOriginally published on my blog here in March 1999.

Another village crime novel by Ngaio Marsh, this one set on a small island connected to the Cornish mainland by a causeway. On the island, there is a spring, and there, a small boy, washing his hands in the water, experienced an immediate healing of the warts that covered his hands. Over the two years following this event, reported in the national press, a steady stream of people has come to the pool, seeking cures for themselves and enriching the inhabitants of the island.

After two years, a new owner, Miss Price, who disapproves of the tasteless and exploitative way in which her tenants are promoting the pool, inherits the island. She announces her intention of stopping their lucrative trade. When she starts receiving anonymous threats, the police become involved, but then she visits the island; attempts are made to harm her, and then a woman is murdered, in circumstances where she could have been mistaken for Miss Price.

As in Death of a Fool, Marsh adopts a twee attitude to the English village, one riddled with snobbery. (I grew up myself in a small village, and either things had changed dramatically over thirty years, or Marsh had only seen the English village from New Zealand.) Dead Water is full of unpleasant, in-bred yokels on the one hand, and nice upper class people on the other (with the exception of an alcoholic). Her attitude seems more and more old-fashioned by the minute, and it's a pity because she did write some of the best classic detective novels....more

I read this as part of an omnibus with "Hand in glove" and "Death at the Dolphin". This was originally published in 1964. I think I have read this at least twice before and for some reason a lot of it stuck in my memory. From the outset I knew who was going to do it and why but this did not stop my enjoying reading this again.

This is set in a village, probably on the south coast of Cornwall, with a cast of bizarre characters. The locals are exploiting a spring with alleged healing powers but theI read this as part of an omnibus with "Hand in glove" and "Death at the Dolphin". This was originally published in 1964. I think I have read this at least twice before and for some reason a lot of it stuck in my memory. From the outset I knew who was going to do it and why but this did not stop my enjoying reading this again.

This is set in a village, probably on the south coast of Cornwall, with a cast of bizarre characters. The locals are exploiting a spring with alleged healing powers but the new owner wants to close their operations down. The new owner receives threats and some attempts at harm and finally there is a murder. As it happens Superintendent Alleyn knew the new owner and had warned her against visiting the village so when he heard about the attempts he himself goes to the village and he actually discovers the corpse. Needless to say Alleyn's team from Scotland Yard come down and finally the murderer is revealed. There is a lot of misdirection in this book but the clues are there. I love the way the author creates improbable situations with improbable characters and although some themes occur in many of her books, such as the young lovers one of whom is often a young woman from New Zealand, I do enjoy her characters....more

Dame Ngaio Marsh, born Edith Ngaio Marsh, was a New Zealand crime writer and theatre director. There is some uncertainty over her birth date as her father neglected to register her birth until 1900, but she was born in the city of Christchurch, New Zealand.

Of all the "Great Ladies" of the English mystery's golden age, including Margery Allingham, Agatha Christie, and Dorothy L. Sayers, Ngaio MarshDame Ngaio Marsh, born Edith Ngaio Marsh, was a New Zealand crime writer and theatre director. There is some uncertainty over her birth date as her father neglected to register her birth until 1900, but she was born in the city of Christchurch, New Zealand.

Of all the "Great Ladies" of the English mystery's golden age, including Margery Allingham, Agatha Christie, and Dorothy L. Sayers, Ngaio Marsh alone survived to publish in the 1980s. Over a fifty-year span, from 1932 to 1982, Marsh wrote thirty-two classic English detective novels, which gained international acclaim. She did not always see herself as a writer, but first planned a career as a painter.

Marsh's first novel, A MAN LAY DEAD (1934), which she wrote in London in 1931-32, introduced the detective Inspector Roderick Alleyn: a combination of Sayers's Lord Peter Wimsey and a realistically depicted police official at work. Throughout the 1930s Marsh painted occasionally, wrote plays for local repertory societies in New Zealand, and published detective novels. In 1937 Marsh went to England for a period. Before going back to her home country, she spent six months travelling about Europe.

All her novels feature British CID detective Roderick Alleyn. Several novels feature Marsh's other loves, the theatre and painting. A number are set around theatrical productions (Enter a Murderer, Vintage Murder, Overture to Death, Opening Night, Death at the Dolphin, and Light Thickens), and two others are about actors off stage (Final Curtain and False Scent). Her short story "'I Can Find My Way Out" is also set around a theatrical production and is the earlier "Jupiter case" referred to in Opening Night. Alleyn marries a painter, Agatha Troy, whom he meets during an investigation (Artists in Crime), and who features in several later novels.